One aspect relates to a method for producing an electrical bushing for an implantable device, another to an implantable medical device, another to an electrical bushing as well as to an implantable device.
DE 697 29 719 T2 describes an electrical bushing for an implantable electrical therapeutic device. Electrical bushings of this type serve to establish electrical connection between a hermetically sealed interior and an exterior of the therapeutic device.
Known examples of implantable therapeutic devices include brain pacemakers, cardiac pacemakers or defibrillators. Said devices commonly include a hermetically sealed metal housing which is provided with a connection body, also called header, on one side. Said connection body includes a connection socket that serves for connection of electrode leads, which is effected, for example, by means of a bajonet lock. In this context, the connection socket includes electrical contacts that serve to electrically connect electrode leads to control electronics on the interior of the housing of the implantable device.
Hermetic sealing with respect to a surrounding is an essential prerequisite of a corresponding electrical bushing since the control electronics need to be kept isolated from liquids in order to consistently prevent malfunctions or total failure. Since the conducting wires generally are metal wires or metal pins that are introduced into an electrically insulating ceramic base body of the electrical bushing, the interfaces between the conducting wires and the base body are weak spots. It needs to be ensured, therefore, that the signal-transmitting conducting wires that are introduced into the electrical bushing are introduced into the insulating element such as to be free of gaps.
A gap-free connection between the two elements is commonly generated by metallizing an internal surface of a bore hole in the base body and soldering to it a conducting wire that is guided through it. However, the application of the metallization in the bore hole in the insulating element is a difficult task. Only cost-intensive procedures allow to ensure homogeneous metallization of the internal surface of the bore hole in the insulating element.
For these and other reasons there is a need for the present invention.